MacBook Airs suffering from bad hinges?

First-generation MacBook Airs may have a fundamental flaw in their hinge construction, accounts suggest. A number of Air owners claim that after several months of use, hinges can become unreasonably loose, sometimes enough for a lid to travel or close completely without any help. In extreme cases hinges may break entirely, rendering an Air useless as a portable device.

The problem may be especially critical as some Apple Store Genius Bars are reportedly refusing to honor warranties, with or without AppleCare, on the basis that the damage is thought to be "accidental" rather than an inherent problem. The Air hinges are also divided in two, as in some older Apple notebooks, and embedded into the lid, meaning that people affected by faulty hardware may have to pay as much as $900 for repairs due to the cost of the associated display.

Some Apple Stores have stated a willingness to cover repairs under warranty however, and the problem so far appears to be absent from second-generation Airs. Apple has yet to officially recognize hinge issues, which could represent the second major flaw to affects Airs following the discovery of graphics corruption.